This gorgeous shot depicts nighttime AV-8B Harrier operations aboard the USS Essex LHD-2 while the ship churns through the seas somewhere in the vast Pacific. It's amazing that even though there may not be a person for thousands of miles in any direction, this extreme ballet of technology, ingenuity and courage can be occurring quite literally in the middle of nowhere.

Photo via DoD

Tyler Rogoway is a defense journalist and photographer who maintains the website Foxtrot Alpha for Jalopnik.com You can reach Tyler with story ideas or direct comments regarding this or any other defense topic via the email address Tyler@Jalopnik.com